Main menu

The Van Gaal factor in Liverpool: A coup d’etat waiting to happen

The gates of Gaal: What Brendan Rodgers could face
Brendan Rodgers is set to become the new manager in Liverpool. An appointment which should please many fans. Rodgers will have to do a lot of heavy lifting overseeing what could be an accelerated re-structuring of the squad in the off season to bring in more creativity and make Liverpool more nimble and effective up front. But there could be a potentially huge crimp and its name happens to be Louis Van Gaal.
Almost the entire upper management at Liverpool will wear a new look next season and one of those faces could be the former Bayern Munich manager installed as director of football. The autocratic Van Gaal, famed for his zero man management skills, and an outsize presence has indicated his interest in the job but at the same time has shown no inclination to disavow his managerial ambitions. This sets up a coup d’etat situation at Anfield where a young manager like Rodgers will have to work with Van Gaal breathing down his neck. What freedom will he have in the transfer decisions? What job security would he have knowing Van Gaal was just a step removed from manager?
Van Gaal has driven players away. Mark Van Bommel, Lucio, and Luca Toni all left Bayern Munich abruptly because they could not work with him. He’s had success, plenty of it because he brings the Ajax- Barcelona philosophy with him and for a disjointed Liverpool this could be the very antidote. But Van Gaal brings all the other negatives too. The technical director is supposed to be a faceless creature not a prima donna who has had his share of famous bust ups with players. Liverpool will be well advised to give up on Van Gaal and repose their trust in Rodgers, giving him free rein in the transfer market and his footballing philosophy which seems to share commonalities with Arsene Wenger. Getting the best out of under rated players and developing a midfield that is pass happy with a corp of strikers who can deliver.
On cue, the chances of Van Gaal becoming part of Liverpool have dramatically receded.